In recent years there has been a growing interest in the development of passive three-point belt restraint systems for restraining occupants of vehicles. The three-point passive belt restraint system is desirable since it secures both upper and lower body portions and automatically moves to a occupant non-restraining condition upon suitable actuation.
Typically, the opening of the occupant's door automatically moves the three-point belt restraint system from the occupant thereby allowing entrance and exit of the vehicle. Upon closing the occupant's vehicle door, the belt automatically moves to an occupant restraining position about the occupant.
Numerous different devices and mechanisms have been devised to accomplish the desired automatic or passive operation of the three point belt system between an occupant restraint and an occupant nonrestraint position.
Many of the prior art belt release or removal mechanisms are not only complicated but do not entirely remove the belt from the occupant's path thereby partially obstructing entrance or exit from the vehicle. More recently, three-point passive belt restraint systems have been developed which remove the belts from the occupant's path entirely during exit and entry of the vehicle. Typical of such mechanisms in U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,614 issued to Felsing on Mar. 18, 1980. The Felsing patent discloses a typical three-point belt restraint system. The system includes two lower seat belt segments, one being secured to the interior side of an occupant's seat with the other being secured to the vehicle door. The belt system further includes an upper shoulder segment which is secured by a retractor or the like which is placed to the rear and above the vehicle occupant. To insure that the upper shoulder belt is removed from about the occupant to allow entry and exit from the vehicle, a shoulder belt guide is provided which moves from a restraint position behind the vehicle occupant to a non-restraint position forward in the vehicle where the shoulder belt is lifted up and away from the occupant. Another patent disclosing the use of a shoulder belt guide for removing the shoulder belt upward and away from the occupant passenger is U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,613 issued to Cachia on Mar. 18, 1980. Both Felsing and Cachia disclose the use of a motor or the like to power the shoulder belt guide forward in the vehicle upon door opening or other actuation to pull the belt out of the occupant's way.
Although the belt guide discussed above is suitable for insuring that the shoulder belt segment of the three-point passive system is removed entirely out of the occupant's entry or exit path, the shoulder belt guide does not provide for positioning of the shoulder belt about the occupant. It would therefore be desirable to provide a three-point passive belt restraint system where the shoulder belt guide not only moves the shoulder belt out of the occupant's way for entry and exit, but also positions the shoulder belt appropriately on the occupant's shoulder during driving operations. By positioning the shoulder belt directly on the occupant's shoulder, the possibility of improper upper body restraint due to a poorly positioned shoulder belt is reduced.